The present invention relates to a code image data output apparatus and method for converting so-called multimedia information including audio information such as voice data or music data, image information obtained from a camera or a video device, and digital code data obtained from a personal computer or a word processor into an optically readable code pattern and outputting the code pattern.
Various media including magnetic tapes and optical disks are conventionally known as media for recording voice data or music data. However, such media require a large storage space and have a relatively high unit cost even when they are duplicated in a large quantity. In addition, it takes a long time to deliver an audio data-recorded medium to a person in a remote place, regardless of whether the medium is sent by mail or directly handed. This applies not only to such audio information but also to so-called multimedia information including image information obtained from a camera or a video device and digital code data obtained from a personal computer or a word processor.
As a technique of coping with such problems, EP 0,670,555 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 08/407,018) or EP U.S. Ser. No. 0,713,194 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 08/586,792) by the present assignee discloses an apparatus which records, on an information recording medium such as a paper sheet, multimedia information including at least one of audio information, image information, and digital code data in the form of a two-dimensional code pattern formed by two-dimensionally arranging a plurality of dots as image information, i.e., coded information allowing facsimile transmission and inexpensive duplication in a large quantity.
In the above prior arts, however, neither functions necessary for printing a code on printed matter nor specific processing methods/procedures for a coding process of actually generating a code are sufficiently described. Particularly, processes of realizing code size editing which is desired for layout editing together with a general original are not considered.
As a bar code printing technique as a technique of recording an optically readable code pattern, a technique disclosed in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 62-212176 is known. According to this technique, the bar code length, the direction (vertical or horizontal) of the bar code, the ratio of thickness can be set by a user, and high-quality code printing can be performed using a general-purpose printer.
In this prior art, however, no proposals are made for processes of coding one or a plurality of perception information, code size editing based on data amount adjustment for realizing a desired printing layout, and a technique of setting the pattern shape of a bar as a recording unit.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situations, and has as its object to provide a code image data output apparatus and method for converting so-called multimedia information into optically readable code pattern image data, which enable quick and easy confirmation and size adjustment of data coded in perception information units or linking units of a plurality of perception information units and also allow a user to record intended or permitted recording information in an intended or permitted code size.
The perception information unit corresponds to a subset as a user recognizable information unit disclosed in EP 0,713,194 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 08/586,792). More specifically, the perception information unit is a data block which can be recognized as one information unit such as information containing only voice data or information containing only image data. When a plurality of pieces of voice information exist, each voice information is defined as a perception information unit, i.e., a data block which can be recognized as one information unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a function of enabling code size adjustment without changing information contents.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a function of allowing a user to flexibly set a correction condition and a print condition such that user control can be easily performed in accordance with the rate of error generation depending on a code print condition/code use situation.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a function of allowing a user to flexibly set an output state (output position/time/period) such that user control for the output state of coded multimedia information can be easily performed.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a function of allowing a user to flexibly set a management structure with which a perception information unit can be divided in a coding process and decoded such that the data can be reproduced while preventing the recording capacity of a perception information unit to be recorded or a multimedia file constituted by linked perception information units from depending on the storage capacity of a reproduction device.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output apparatus which outputs code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising:
input means for inputting the multimedia information;
compression coding means for compression-coding data corresponding to the multimedia information input by the input means; and
code conversion means for converting the data compression-coded by the compression coding means into code data, converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format, and outputting the code image data, wherein
the compression coding means includes data amount calculation means for calculating, in advance before the code image is recorded, a data amount of the compression-coded data corresponding to the multimedia information input by the input means, and
the code conversion means includes precode generation means for generating precode image data determined on the basis of the data amount calculated by the data amount calculation means and outputting the precode image data before the code image is recorded.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output apparatus which outputs code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising:
input means for inputting the multimedia information;
compression coding means for compression-coding data corresponding to the multimedia information input by the input means;
code conversion means for converting the data compression-coded by the compression coding means into code data, converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format, and outputting the code image data;
switching means for performing switching between a precode image generation mode in which a data amount of the compression-coded data corresponding to the multimedia information input by the input means is calculated in advance before the code image is recorded, and precode image data determined on the basis of the calculated data amount is generated and output, and a code image generation mode in which the data corresponding to the multimedia information input by the input means is compression-coded, the compressed data is converted into the code data, the code data is converted into the optically readable code image data according to the predetermined recording format, and the code image data is output.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output method of outputting code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising the steps of:
calculating a data amount of compression-coded data corresponding to the input multimedia information in advance;
generating precode image data on the basis of the calculated data amount;
compression-coding the data corresponding to the multimedia information and converting the data into code data; and
converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format and outputting the code image data.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output apparatus which outputs code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising:
input means for inputting the multimedia information;
unit information generation means for dividing the multimedia information input by the input means into predetermined information units and generating at least one unit information;
compression coding means for compression-coding unit data corresponding to the unit information in units of unit information generated by the unit information generation means; and
code conversion means for converting at least one unit data compression-coded by the compression coding means into code data, converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format, and outputting the code image data, wherein
the compression coding means comprises data amount calculation means for calculating, in advance before the code image is recorded, a data amount of the compression-coded unit data in units of unit information generated by the unit information generation means, and
the code conversion means comprises precode generation means for generating precode image data determined on the basis of the amount of the at least one unit data, which is calculated by the data amount calculation means before the code image is recorded, and outputting the precode image data.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output apparatus which outputs code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising:
input means for inputting the multimedia information;
unit information generation means for dividing the multimedia information input by the input means into predetermined information units and generating at least one unit information;
compression coding means for compression-coding unit data corresponding to the unit information in units of unit information generated by the unit information generation means;
code conversion means for converting at least one unit data compression-coded by the compression coding means into code data, converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format, and outputting the code image data; and
switching means for performing switching between a precode image generation mode in which a data amount of the compression-coded unit data in units of unit information generated by the unit information generation means is calculated in advance before the code image is recorded, and precode image data determined on the basis of the calculated amount of at least one unit data is generated and output, and a code image generation mode in which the unit data is compression-coded in units of unit information generated by the unit information generation means, the at least one compressed unit data is converted into the code data, the code data is converted into the optically readable code image data according to the predetermined recording format, and the code image data is output.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code image data output method of outputting code image data corresponding to multimedia information including at least one of voice information and image information to a recording device for recording the multimedia information on a recording medium as an optically readable code image, comprising the steps of:
dividing the input multimedia information into predetermined information units;
calculating a data amount of compression-coded unit data corresponding to the unit information in units of the divided unit information in advance;
generating precode image data on the basis of the calculated amount of at least one unit data;
compression-coding the unit data in units of unit information to convert the unit data into code data; and
converting the code data into optically readable code image data according to a predetermined recording format and outputting the code image data.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.